Mike Adenuga: The Business Magnate Helping Nigeria’s Response Against COVID-19
The Bull, as Mike Adenuga is fondly called, is one of the few elite Nigerians who can boast about being a billionaire (in dollars) but he never does that.
The almost reclusive billionaire has always had a love for philanthropy and has said in different interviews that his sole purpose for doing what he does is helping to develop others. One of his most famous quotes, ‘I am not interested in being the richest man in the world. If I can be seen as adding value to Nigerians and Africans, it is more fulfilling’, explains this.
Adenuga who built his fortune out of a small sawmill he inherited from his late father, knows a thing or two about overcoming difficulties to become a winner. Mike Adenuga over the course of about 42 years has turned his small inheritance into a multinational business. He has huge investments in telecommunications, energy, banking and construction. According to Forbes, he is the third richest Nigerian.
As he grew his empire, his need to give back continued to increase which led him to establish his Mike Adenuga Foundation (MAF).
‘The idea of a foundation is something I have been considering for a long time. I have worked hard most of my life and I believe I have been very fortunate; although I must say I am a great believer in the man who said the harder you work, the luckier you get,’ he wrote on the foundation’s website.
When the first set of the coronavirus cases in Nigeria emerged, Mike Adenuga, through his daughter, Mrs Bella Disu, presented N500 million to Lagos state. Another representative of the foundation presented N1 billion to the Governor of the Central Bank, Mr Godwin Emefiele, in Abuja.
The foundation also pledged to continue to supply essential items such as sanitizers, masks, test kits, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to various bodies and institutions in the country.
They wrote in a statement, ‘Our primary focus at MAF is to ensure that all Nigerians remain safe to support their families and the economy. We urge everyone to stay aware of updated practices and strategies to combat coronavirus. These are trying times. However, we are confident we will overcome the challenge.’
Mike Adenuga through his foundation has really come through for Nigeria and Nigerians in this trying times and he deserves to be celebrated for his generosity.
Writer: Mofijesusewa Samuel
Designer: Kume Akpubi
